Femi Atolagbe
O ndo State Deputy Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has urged the organisers of the forthcoming State Football League to ensure future champions, players for clubs, especially, Sunshine Stars are discovered.
Aiyedatiwa stated this at the official unveiling and launch of the logo of the football league sponsored by one of the betting companies in Akure, the state capital.
The deputy Governor, represented by the General Manager of Sunshine Stars and Sunshine Queens, Otunba Akin Akinbobola, commended the state Football Association (FA)for re-awakening the state league which had been docile.
He said that the league would encourage football activities across the 18 local government areas, as the state league would identify talents for national and international engagements.
He used the occasion to call on high spirited individuals and companies to invest more on grassroots football to harness talents in the state.
“This is laudable, this is the beginning of grassroots league. I commend state FA for the noble and laudable initiative which would afford the talents abound in the state showcase themselves.
“Our government will continue to support any initiative driven towards development of youths at the grassroots,”he said.
In his remarks, the Chairman, Ondo State Football Association, Otunba Dele Ajayi, said the state football league would provide a pool of talents for clubs in the state to tap from.
Ajayi said scouts would be brought for the competition, as he commended the sponsor for developing grassroots football the sponsor for coming to the aid of the association in terms of development of grassroots football.
“The committee needs your cooperation. We were voted in last year and all our programmes have been successful and I appreciate board members for their support and cooperation,” he said.
The Chairman of the Committee, Ondo State Football League,Mr Yomi Seriki, said the committee had concluded a statewide tour to sensitise our various stakeholders about the league.
“Registration will be for a period of two weeks and we envisage nothing less than eighty (80) football teams at the grassroots, across the state, to register for the inaugural league.
“After registration, the teams will be divided into groups and then the league will commence
“At the end of the first stage, the winner and the runner up from each group will converge in Akure for the grand finale, it is from the engagement between the teams that the state champion will finally emerge.
“The league will be run and managed according to the statutes of FIFA through the Nigerian Football Federation and we have obligations to our title sponsors and we will fulfill all our commitments to them in words and in spirit,” he said.
